Tillerson Stresses Common NATO View of Iran’s Regional Threat

Tillerson Stresses Common NATO View of Iran’s Regional Threat

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that NATO allies share a common view of the regional threat that Tehran poses over its destabilizing activities in Yemen and Syria.

“We’re all very concerned about how to address that issue, and that was the discussions that we held,” Tillerson said on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

His comments came as Iran's foreign ministry denied on Wednesday US accusations that Tehran is playing a destabilizing role in the region, state media reported.

"Repeating the groundless accusations and lies will not help solve the large and strategic mistakes America has made in recent decades against Iran and the region," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi was quoted as saying by state media.

"While there's time remaining, Mr. Tillerson should become more familiar with the realities and history of the region and American policies, and its effects which has led to serious instability and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent women, children and people."

Tillerson had said on Tuesday that Iran is carrying out "destabilizing actions" by supporting “Hezbollah” in Lebanon, supplying missiles to Houthi insurgents in Yemen and sending weapons and militia fighters to Syria.

Tillerson also said during his visit to Brussels that Iran must comply with the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal under which it agreed to curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of a number of sanctions.

US President Donald Trump dealt a blow to the pact in October by refusing to certify that Tehran was complying with the accord even though international inspectors said it was.